The IDF Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz concluded his
official visit to Canada on Friday.

Lt. Gen. Gantz was hosted by his Canadian counterpart, Chief of the
Defense Staff (CDS) of the Canadian Forces General Walt Natynczyk
(pronounced na-tin-check), who emphasized the importance he sees in
the visit and in the growing security cooperation between the two
countries. The Canadian CDS hosted Lt. Gen. Gantz to an official
dinner, in which his deputy and other senior officers participated.

"Meeting with the Chiefs of Defense of allied and friendly nations is
always time very well spent," said General Natynczyk. "We are honored
to host Lieutenant-General Gantz and his wife in Ottawa. This is an
important opportunity for us to share perspectives on global security
issues," "Our relationship with the Israeli Defense Forces is
growing. We will continue to build upon our friendship with practical
initiatives of mutual benefit."

According to the IDF Website, the two met on the following day for an
extended "one-on-one" meeting, during which they exchanged views on
current security issues.

Following the meeting, the CDS conducted a roundtable panel with
representatives from the Ministry of National Defense and senior
officers from the Canadian military. Lt. Gen. Gantz gave the
assembled officers a detailed brief regarding the current challenges
in the Middle East, the radical elements that have a negative
influence on the region, and current trends in view of the changes in
several Middle Eastern countries over the past year.

The panel ended with a discussion on the current fields of
cooperation between the Canadian and Israeli military and defense
establishments.

During the visit, both Lt. Gen. Gantz and Gen. Natynczyk took the
opportunity to attend the Ceremony of Remembrance at the Book of
Remembrance in Parliament.